Minister of Community Development, Culture and the Arts, Nyan Gadsby-Dolly, says a review is to be carried out to determine if Pan Trinbago is providing value for money in the wake of allegations of corruption within the organisation made by outgoing vice president Bryon Serrette.
She made the comment in a brief interview with reporters following yesterday’s Joint Select Committee meeting in Parliament.
“We have to look very carefully now at whether we are getting value for money with respect to the money given to Pan Trinbago for Panorama, so yes that will occupy quite a lot of time and the focus of our discussions,” she said.
Pan Trinbago is still owing pan players money for performances in competitions it held in previous years.
But Gadsby-Dolly said the National Carnival Committee (NCC) “would have given the outstanding balance of the 2015/16 subvention to Pan Trinbago.” She said the amount given was $5 million and Pan Trinbago received it the last week of October.
“If there is any delay in the payments that will be a question as to why Pan Trinbago had not remitted the payments to the players,” she said.
Responding to questions on the allegations of corruption in Pan Trinbago, Gadsby-Dolly said her ministry’s interaction with Pan Trinbago was “really with respect to the monies for Panorama, so their internal politics, we are not privy to it nor are we getting into it.”
She admitted, however, that the Government was concerned about the allegations as they relate to “financial impropriety and those concern us because they (Pan Trinbago) are entrusted with large amounts of taxpayers’ money to run the Panorama.”
She said since the allegations were made she was “in contact with the chairman of the NCC (and) we have been speaking about what our approach would be, based on these allegations.” However, she said, no definitive position on their approach has as yet been taken.
“We are looking at it because as you would know, we would feel a bit troubled by these kinds of allegations that have been hitting the media. We have not made a final decision but we are actively discussing it and by next week we should make a decision on the way forward,” Gadsby-Dolly said.
Asked if she would be seeking a report on the matter from Pan Trinbago, Gadsby-Dolly noted that the steelband body submits audited financial statements “so we are going to be looking very closely at those that were submitted and we may ask for them to provide some additional evidence of their financial status.”
Body responds
Meanwhile, in a release yesterday, Pan Trinbago said it had noted the statements made by Serrette, which it said were inimical to the best interests of Pan Trinbago.
Saying Serrette had endorsed the management of the organisation throughout his tenure, the release said, “We have noted the contents of what has been said by Mr. Serrette and do not find favour with them, most of these statements are erroneous. It should be noted that through our audited financial statements, Pan Trinbago has accounted for every dollar received from government and all other sources.
“It has been said in some quarters that Mr Serrette’s ambition is to be President of Pan Trinbago. We have no quarrel with this but we continue to be a democratic organisation and we strive always to do the best for our membership.”
It added that Pan Trinbago was pursuing its legal options in the matter.